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Thursday, 12 May 2016

New Fuel Price: FG Insensitive to Nigerians’ Plight – Fayose

EKITI State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has con­demned increase in pet­rol price from N86.50 to N145 and has described it as ‘insensitive.’

The governor, who said the over 70 per cent increment was another vindication of his predic­tions on what to expect in 2016, added that “it was now clear that scarcity of petrol being experienced in the last three months was deliberately orches­trated by theFederal Gov­ernment to justify the in­crement.

Fayose said he was waiting for the reaction of those who took to the streets to protest when fuel subsidy was removed by the Dr Goodluck Jona­than administration in 2012 and urged labour unions to stand by their members, not minding the political party in gov­ernment.

On its part, the Nige­rian Labour Congress (NLC) has vowed to re­sist the new pump price of petrol and has accused government of also being insensitive to the eco­nomic hardship ravaging the nation.

NLC President, Com­rade Ayuba Wabba told Daily Sun yesterday that labour will meet with civ­il society on Monday, May 16, to decide the next step to take on the matter.

Wabba, who spoke from Brussels, Belgium, said labour rejected the new price when the latter met with representatives of organised labour before it was officially announced.

He said the hardship in the country does not give room for increment in energy price and stressed that labour was still pro­testing the recent hike in electricity charges by 45 per cent.

Aside that, he stated that several states still owe their workers several months salary arrears.

On whether they were consulted by government before fixing the price, he said: “Certainly, even to­day (yesterday), there was a meeting at the Presiden­tial Villa and the position is very clear. Our repre­sentatives and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) made our position very straight forward against the increment…”